2023

'Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' (2023) Review: Terrifically Tense The daring crew of highly skilled agents known as the Impossible Missions Force once again are called to save the world. This time facing off against an artificial intelligence called ‘The Entity’ that takes the very tools the team has come to rely on, and turns them into liabilities. The characters are isolated, the threat is prescient, and the stakes have never been higher. An outlandish story that feels ripped from the headlines, ‘Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ arrives amidst strikes from actors and writers in the American film industry, focused in part on the use of Artificial Intelligence to create works of fiction. In a similar fashion Ethan Hunt and his team rebel against the supercomputer that holds the world hostage. For a franchise that’s been largely focused on chemical warfare, information exposure, or a good old fashioned nuclear bomb, the pervasive threat of predictive AI is unique. Some viewers may find the obstacle difficult to swallow, but the film creates a personal connection utilising faces from Ethan’s past. Even if you don’t buy into the science of this fiction, ‘Dead Reckoning’ ensures emotion is at the centre of its story.As the man who can do it all, Ethan Hunt is faced with the limits of his abilities, but it’s a limit that gets pushed repeatedly. Once more Tom Cruise devotes his time in front of the camera to performing the kind…

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023) Review: A Send Off Fit for A Legend With as many iconic characters as he’s played, Harrison Ford could very well have hung up his blasters, hat, and trenchcoat a long time ago. Instead, he’s maintained a firm grip on his legacy, thus far giving each of his legendary roles a proper goodbye. Now with ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ the hope is Dr. Jones can receive the same treatment, for one last grand adventure.In terms of his performance, ‘Dial of Destiny’ definitively cements Ford as the only suitable choice to play the character. Indiana Jones may be known for death defying stunts, but as an older more seasoned explorer, he’s unable to pull off the impossible like he once could. The film takes place at the time of the moon landing, putting Dr. Jones in a time and place that’s swiftly moving on without him. Ford leans into the character’s isolation, giving the swashbuckling adventurer more pathos and solace than ever before.It’s an intimate portrayal, that’s not without history. After a lifetime of near death experiences, Indy has suffered more than most. The weight of loss is heavy, but the rest of the characters are there to lighten the load. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Helena, Indiana’s goddaughter. She’s capable, cunning, and charismatic like any good companion should be, and the two have great chemistry on screen.The character work is grand, but for…